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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · root · chest · saw · mark · sharp · ground · firm

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — steady
  14. mark — a grade
  15. root — of a word
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chest — a box
  19. ground — the earth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ground — a position
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com